Las Cruces, NM Road Trips

1 New Mexico State University. It is in Las Cruces, with an interesting museum or two, a large conference center, and a comfortable student union. University Museum, ☏ +1 575-646-5161. Tu-Sa noon-4PM. In Kent Hall at NMSU. Emphasis on local archaeology and culture. Free, but donations accepted. Zuhl Collection. M-F noon-4PM, except holidays. In the Alumni Center at NMSU. Fossils, minerals, and petrified wood. Free. 2 New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Rd, ☏ +1 575 522-4100. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. East of NMSU on the way out into the countryside. This is a fairly substantial site based on a working cattle ranch, with demonstrations. You can spend half a day here; there are picnic tables as well as food available for purchase. $3 (student and senior discounts). 3 Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main St, ☏ +1 575 541-2155. Tu-F 10AM-4:30PM, Sa 9AM-4:30PM. A small museum dealing with local history. Free. (updated Mar 2021) 4 Museum of Art, 491 N Main St (next to the Branigan), ☏ +1 575 541-2137. Tu-F 10AM-4:30PM, Sa 9AM-4:30PM. Predominantly contemporary art with a regional emphasis. Free. (updated Mar 2021) 5 Las Cruces Museum of Natural History, 411 N Main St, ☏ +1 575 522-3120. Includes a small collection of live animals. 7 days, with evening hours on Friday; free, but donations requested. 6 Las Cruces Railroad Museum, 351 N Mesilla St (in the historic Santa Fe Depot), ☏ +1 575 647-4480. Th-Sa 10AM-4PM. The museum interprets the impact of the railroad on the Mesilla Valley and Las Cruces. Free.

1 Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, 15000 Dripping Springs Rd, ☏ +1 575 522-1219. 8AM-5PM. Just east of town offer good hiking and rock climbing. Follow University Avenue east from NMSU past the Farm and Ranch museum to one of the primary trailheads, in a small park (fee) with interpretive exhibit. Trails lead from here into the mountains. Some campground space is available (additional fee). The Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument was established May 21, 2014. $3. (updated Feb 2020) 2 Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Free. (updated Apr 2020)

1 D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro, 1720 Avenida De Mesilla, ☏ +1 575 524-2408. Warm atmosphere, live music, great food and wine selection. French country menu includes interesting appetizers like European cheese plates that pair wonderfully with flights of wine. Entres include dinner salads, fish, steak, pastas, and more. University Avenue, on the north side of NMSU, has the usual assortment of student-oriented eateries, with the usual properties for such places: lots of food, reasonable prices, less than haute cuisine. Some, by no means all, of the restaurants along University are: 2 Lorenzo's, 1753 E. University, ☏ +1 575 521-3505. Italian; lunch and dinner. Also has a location in Mesilla and a new location in the shopping center on Lohman & Roadrunner. Old Mesilla. To the southwest of Las Cruces is on the El Camino Real traveled by Onate and Coronado and is the home of many restaurants. 3 Double Eagle, 2355 Calle de Guadalupe (Mesilla), ☏ +1 575-523-6700, fax: +1 575-523-0051. More of an upscale restaurant. Standard New Mexican fare and locally-inspired dishes. One of the few places in town that serves aged steak. Supposedly haunted, local lore says star-crossed lovers perished here and continue to visit one of the dining rooms. Their bar has an extensive liquor selection, suitable for all tastes. The ambiance is almost unmatched in the area. The Sunday brunch is a popular choice. 4 Andele, 1950 Calle del Norte, ☏ +1 575-526-9631. Mexican with a salsa bar. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A fine place for a drink or nightlife is in Old Mesilla, to the southwest of Las Cruces: 1 El Patio, Old Mesilla Plaza. The main bar in town. Live music. Unique smell. 2 Mezcla, 705 South Telshor Blvd (inside Hotel Encanto). An upscale cosmopolitan restaurant serving creative cocktails, wine, delicious appetizers, and dinner entrees.

1 The Lundeen Inn of the Arts, 618 S. Alameda Blvd.. Beautiful bed and breakfast housed in an art gallery. From $80. 2 Best Western Mission Inn, 1765 S. Main St, ☏ +1 575 524-8591. Adequate if unexceptional lodging in a commercial area; not adjacent to NMSU, but still reasonably convenient for visitors to the university. Rooms from $55. 3 Comfort Suites, 2101 S. Triviz Dr, ☏ +1 575 522-1300. More adequate, unexceptional lodging. From $60. 4 Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, 705 South Telshor Blvd (off of I-25 to Lohman exit), ☏ +1 575 522-4300. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. A full-service pet friendly hotel near the convention center. Meeting & wedding facilities, swimming pool, restaurant & bar. (updated Feb 2017) 5 Ramada de Las Cruces, 201 East University Ave, ☏ +1 575 526-4411. Newly remodeled, and rooms include breakfast. From $60. 6 SpringHill Suites Las Cruces, 1611 Hickory Loop (off of I-10 & Avenida de Mesilla, Exit 140), ☏ +1 575-541-8887. All-suite hotel. (updated Feb 2017)

& Las Cruces is located at the junction of Interstate Highways 10 and 25 and is the southern terminus of the latter. The nearest airport with commercial air service is in El Paso, Texas, about 50 mi (80 km) away. Limited bus service is available between El Paso and Albuquerque with stops in Las Cruces. 1 Las Cruces International Airport (LRU IATA). Located 10 min west of downtown Las Cruces in West Mesa, at Exit 132 of I-10, the airport serves as a general aviation airport and for VIP flights. It also have ample facilities for unmanned Aerial activity, and testing and system development. Nearest airport for scheduled passenger airline services is El Paso International Airport, a 45-minute drive south from downtown Las Cruces on I-10. The 2 Mesilla Intermodal Transit Terminal. serves as the central bus station for: Greyhound Lines, (bus stop) Mesilla Intermodal Transit Terminal @ 300 W Lohman Ave (Lohman Ave & Alameda Blvd), toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. Greyhound travels on I-10 between El Paso, Lordsburg, Tucson and Phoenix. Some variations of the I-10 route may make extra stops in Las Cruces, Deming, Wilcox, Benson, Casa Grande/Eloy and/or Mesa; and on I-25 to Albuquerque (Via Las Cruces). For going towards Los Angeles or Phoenix they may put passengers on an eastbound bus going into El Paso where passengers transfer to another bus going to Los Angeles that does not stop in Las Cruces as not all buses stop in Las Cruces. Other buses may detour from Lordsburg, on US Hwy 70, through Safford and Globe, AZ to reach Phoenix/Mesa.

Las Cruces has some degree of public transportation by the city bus line RoadRUNNER Transit. Service is limited to Monday through Saturday and ends by 7:30 in the evening. Buses can carry bicycles. Otherwise, just plan to drive, bike, or walk.